Suit: Woman says go-kart's broken seat belt causes injury

A customer at a Bedford Park go-kart racing facility is suing the company and its management, claiming she was injured earlier this year while racing a go-kart with a broken seat belt.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court, Kimberly Ball says employees at Chicago Race Factory assigned her a go-kart with a non-functioning seat belt on May 2. The staffers allegedly told her the safety harnesses were only used by children and not needed by adults, according to the lawsuit.

A woman who picked up the phone at the go-kart facility, 6955 S. Harlem Ave., declined comment.

While driving the go-kart during the first turn, Ball claims her “body slid on the driver’s seat causing her leg, knee, hip and ankle to be injured,” the lawsuit states. She is seeking in excess of $50,000.

The lawsuit alleges the company and its employees were negligent by allowing and instructing Ball to race a go-kart with a broken seat belt. It also names the manager of the go-kart facility, alleging he allowed his employees to assign Ball a go-kart with broken safety equipment and didn’t properly train his staff.

According to its website, Chicago Race Factory features the city’s only quarter-mile track in its 40,000-square-foot facility. It uses “top-of-the-line go karts” that accelerate up to 45 mph.